Net Compulsives

Drug gangs report blasting UK cities as dangerous

Comment By Professor Alan Stevens Drug gangs report blasting UK cities as dangerous is too confusing The problems are nowhere near as deep in Manchester or Liverpool as they are in Rio de Janeiro – or even San Francisco A masked municipal policeman stands outside a shopping mall in MexicoAP On one hand it is right to state that there are communities in British cities suffering from social exclusion and marginalisation and that this contributes to their drug and crime problems. But on the other, these problems are nowhere near as deep in Manchester or Liverpool as they are in Rio de Janeiro or Ciudad Juarez – or even San Francisco or Los Angeles. The problem with the INCB report is that the wording is unclear. It gives the impression that its comments on no-go areas could apply equally to all of these cities. But it should have been more careful in specifying which ones it was referring to. The cities in Central and South America have more extreme problems which come from bigger social inequalities. They are dramatically more affected by crime and health problems. For example, in the past few years in Rio there have been repeated attempts to crack down on the areas controlled by violent drug markets. For a while these places were no-go zones. But authorities have acted in a militaristic fashion in the past year as they prepare for the World Cup.

Drug gangs report blasting UK cities as dangerous

Comment By Professor Alan Stevens Drug gangs report blasting UK cities as dangerous is too confusing The problems are nowhere near as d...

500,000 passengers allowed to enter Britain on Eurostar without border checks

Home Secretary Theresa May told the House of Commons that border security checks at ports had been suspended regularly and applied inconsi...

Spending on health per patient in Spain is down ten percent in two years

The spending cuts in the health service are causing a deterioration in patient care, as the regions reduce the budget by 5 billion €. The cost per inhabitant has fallen 10% over the past two years, waiting lists are getting longer, and a shortage of beds and a lack of payment to suppliers is ever more common. Supplies are also being rationed. Unions claim there are some hospitals which are rationing the use of bandages. There are already hospitals which no longer operate in the afternoons, and emergency departments are often saturated. All the staff has met the brunt of the cuts, there have also been cut backs on medicines, technology and maintenance. Professionals and patients are starting to notice the cuts. At the Ramon y Cajal emergency department in Madrid, some 100 workers have denounced the saturation, and say there is a shortage of beds. Patients are being placed in overcrowded rooms. The amount owed to suppliers by hospitals by the regional health authorities has now risen to 11.6 billion €.

Spending on health per patient in Spain is down ten percent in two years

The spending cuts in the health service are causing a deterioration in patient care, as the regions reduce the budget by 5 billion €. Th...

Teenagers jailed for south London murder

teenager accused of two gang murders at the age of 16 has been sentenced to a life term. Jordan Williams was told on Thursday he would serve a minimum of 18 years for murdering Daniel Graham, 18, who was stabbed 24 times in 45 seconds. Williams, who turned 17 last month, was part of a gang which attacked Graham as he stepped off a bus on 29 January last year. Williams was later arrested for the murder of promising athlete Sylvester Akapalara, 17, who was shot dead in Peckham, south London, a month before. But a jury cleared him of that killing, which resulted in Sodiq Adeojo, 20, being jailed for a minimum of 30 years, also on Thursday. Williams, Colin Aghatise, 16, and Lennie John, 24, all from Peckham, were found guilty on Wednesday at the Old Bailey of murdering Graham. Williams and Aghatise were ordered to be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure, with Aghatise given a minimum term of 15 years. John, 24, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years. They were said to be members of the GMG gang, which is said to stand for various names, including Guns, Murder and Girls. Graham was attacked with knives and a broken bottle in front of horrified passengers as he got off a bus in East Dulwich, south London. He was helped back on to the 176 bus by passengers, but died from his injuries. Judge Timothy Pontius told the defendants: "Daniel Graham was murdered in circumstances of horrific and merciless brutality. "He was killed in an attack which, for all its brevity, was intensely ferocious. "At least four, and probably more, played an active part. They were acting like a pack of hyenas." Williams had taken one of two lock-knives he kept at home to a party where violence was likely to arise at the meeting of two opposing groups. Williams and Aghatise were both 15 at the time. All three defendants were from decent homes and had good academic achievements. But on the night "they all too readily followed the pack instinct". The court was told that Williams was a server at his local church and had been elected chairman of his school council. And John's mother was said to work at a central London magistrates court. Duncan Penny, prosecuting, said trouble flared at an under-18s event at Dulwich Hamlet football club and a gun was fired, hitting a youth in the leg. He said a row broke out between Graham's friends and another group of youths. Penny said: "Daniel's group was punched and knives were produced and it appears a firearm was discharged and at least one shot was fired. "Daniel's group fled the party and their escape route took them past East Dulwich railway station. They were pursued by members of the defendants' group." Graham had tried to take refuge on the double-decker bus before changing his mind and jumping off. But he was attacked in front of passengers by a large group of youths who subjected him to "a volley of punches, kicks and stamps" to the body and head. Penny said CCTV on the bus showed the time of the attack as 12.09am. "It lasted in the region of 45 seconds," he added. "In that short period he had received 24 stab wounds, having been descended upon by a group of murderers." Passengers made the driver drive off while Graham, who was covered in blood, was laid across two seats by a nurse and her sister. After seeing some of the attackers at the next stop, the bus drove on until police and an ambulance reached it in Lordship Lane. Williams and John were identified by a youth who had viewed them rapping on YouTube. Aghatise's DNA was found on a broken bottle with Graham's blood on it. Graham had gained seven GCSEs and was doing business studies. He did voluntary work for the NSPCC children's charity in his spare time. His mother, Stephanie, said in an impact statement to the court that she had been devastated by his death. She added: "Everyone loved Daniel. He was instantly likeable to all who knew him."

Teenagers jailed for south London murder

teenager accused of two gang murders at the age of 16 has been sentenced to a life term. Jordan Williams was told on Thursday he would se...

Hells Angel charged over Sydney ice labs

Police say they have charged a senior member of the Hells Angels bikie gang over the discovery of two illegal drug laboratories earlier th...

1993 £1m Felixstowe heist: Suspect Eddie Maher was 'bankrupt'

A man wanted in Suffolk over a £1m heist in 1993 had been declared bankrupt with debts of more than $30,000 (£19,000), American court papers have revealed. Eddie Maher, 56, originally from Essex, was arrested on 8 February after being found in Ozark, Missouri. Mr Maher had $85 (£54) in his bank account when he filed for bankruptcy in 2010. He is due in court in America on 22 February for a preliminary hearing. Anonymous tip-off Mr Maher disappeared in 1993 after a security van packed with cash was taken from outside a bank in Felixstowe. The former security guard, who had been living in South Woodham Ferrers when he disappeared, has been charged with immigration and firearm offences in the United States. Bankruptcy papers filed in November 2010 revealed Mr Maher had got into financial difficulties. They showed that he had $17,061 (£10,881) of loan and credit card debts. He also owed $1,759 (£1,121) in hospital and doctors bills and $3,148 (£2,007) in unpaid tax. The security van disappeared after stopping outside Lloyds Bank, in Felixstowe, in January 1993 Assets listed on the court papers included a rifle and digital camera valued at $170 (£108) and a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer car valued at $1,700 (£1,083). He was working as a broadband technician and earned $1,896 (£1,208) a month. His monthly expenses totalled more than $1,807 (£1,151). 'Financial management' course The papers also revealed Mr Maher and his family regularly moved home. Between May 2007 and September 2010, they lived in three addresses within the Ozark area. After being declared bankrupt in November 2010, Mr Maher was forced to complete a course in "personal financial management" on 13 December 2010. Police in America arrested Mr Maher after receiving an anonymous tip-off that he was a "fugitive wanted in England". Papers from a US District Court, in Springfield, Missouri, revealed Mr Maher cannot afford a lawyer. Suffolk police is looking to start extradition proceedings to bring Mr Maher back to the UK.

1993 £1m Felixstowe heist: Suspect Eddie Maher was 'bankrupt'

A man wanted in Suffolk over a £1m heist in 1993 had been declared bankrupt with debts of more than $30,000 (£19,000), American court pape...

Let’s clear up a few things about Whitney Houston.

First of all, she left a last will and testament. It was drawn up after her divorce from Bobby Brown, according to my sources. Daughter Bobbi Kristina is her likely main heir. Despite dire reports, Houston also was not bankrupt or broke. Even though she didn’t have a publishing legacy–others wrote her songs–she did have money from album sales and touring. She likely had advances, too, from various deals with Sony (formerly Sony BMG) dating from 2000. She made a lot of money–at least $35 million gross–from touring Europe and Asia in 2010. Sony is shipping and selling millions of her records right now. And while there may not be a lot in the vaults of unreleased material, there will be enough to do some kind of souvenir album. Her estate in Mendham, New Jersey has been on the market for three years. Yesterday, the price was dropped to $1.7 million. “The property is amazing,” says a friend. “Someone will buy it and remodel it.”  The gated home comes with an Olympic sized swimming pool that at one time bore a large “W” scripted on its bottom. Mostly, Houston had been dividing her time between Atlanta and Los Angeles. Some other things to note: Houston was not scheduled to sing at the Clive Davis party on Saturday. She was merely there as a guest and cheerleader. As I reported on Saturday night– on Thursday she spent the morning and early afternoon with musical director Ricky Minor and Monica and Brandy. Minor reported that she’d been swimming and was in a good mood. Press saw her on Thursday with Davis and the singers. I was staying in the very same Beverly Hilton Hotel. The sense that Whitney was wildly partying all over the place has been conveyed by the tabloids. It’s just not true. What she did at night outside the hotel is another story. And then there was the exclusive story we reported here about the leak on Friday night from her room into the one below. The man in the suite below her saw water cascade through his bathroom ceiling at 2:30am. When he went upstairs, he found that the bathtub had been left on and was overflowing. Bobbi Kristina, 18, was not taking a bath at that hour. But she was awake, and the television in the room with the overflowing bathtub was cracked.

Let’s clear up a few things about Whitney Houston.

First of all, she left a last will and testament. It was drawn up after her divorce from Bobby Brown, according to my sources. Daughter B...

Whitney Houston's Funeral To Be Streamed Live Online

Whitney Houston's funeral will be streamed live on the internet so fans can pay their final respects to the legendary singer. The Greatest Love Of All hitmaker, who was found dead in her hotel room last weekend, is to be laid to rest at her childhood church in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday (18th February). Following confirmation that the ceremony will be a private, invite only event, Houston's publicist Kristen Foster has announced that The AP are allowed to film the service and stream it on their website - with the footage also available to broadcasters via a satellite. The 48-year old's body was flown from Los Angeles to New Jersey on Monday (13th February) ahead of the planned service at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark where she sang as a child with her cousin, Dionne Warwick. It is thought that Whitney will be buried next to her father, John Russell Houston Jr - who passed away in 2003 - with family members making the decision based on what the R&B star would have wanted. Despite her tragic death, Whitney's music continues to dominate the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, with one of her most famous hits I Will Always Love You on course to re-enter the UK singles chart top 10 on Sunday.

Whitney Houston's Funeral To Be Streamed Live Online

Whitney Houston's funeral will be streamed live on the internet so fans can pay their final respects to the legendary singer. The Gre...

The lucrative illicit market in “B.C. Bud”

The lucrative illicit market in “B.C. Bud” — by far the province’s largest agricultural crop — is controlled largely by Asian and biker ga...

Serbian fugitive Dobrosav Gavric, Russian Igor Russol and Moroccan Houssain Ait Taleb have made appearances in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court.

They have all been branded by police as underworld figures with links to organised crime. Yesterday, community safety MEC Dan Plato said he was concerned about these developments. "I am worried about the fact that so many high-profile underworld figures are involved in Cape Town. I am worried about the number of foreign nationals involved in organised crime in Cape Town. "My question is: why are all these foreign people heading for Cape Town, doing their business in Cape Town and finding Cape Town so cosy and appropriate?" Plato said new names of underworld figures were daily being added to the list "known to us". The latest high-profile case involves local businessmen Mark Lifman and André Naudé, who both allegedly ran Specialised Protection Services, providing security to Cape Town nightclubs, without the necessary permits. On Friday, Naudé, the company's CEO, was released on R1000 bail after handing himself over to police. A warrant of arrest has been issued against Lifman, who is in China on business. Charges against 13 of the company's bouncers, including Taleb, were dropped last week. Yesterday, Russol appeared in court accused of extorting R600000 and a Porsche Cayenne from businesses in and around Cape Town. His bail application was postponed to tomorrow. Next month, Gavric is set to appear in court on two cases. He is accused of fraudulently entering South Africa in 2007 and is also facing extradition to Serbia, where he has to serve a 35-year jail sentence for three murders. The Serb was driving Cyril Beeka when Beeka was killed in a drive-by shooting last year. Beeka, too, has been branded an underworld figure. He is also said to have had links to SA Secret Service boss Moe Shaik. Last week, Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer told parliament that drugs with a street value of R12-billion had been confiscated in the province since April , and that this was just the tip of the iceberg. Plato said that though police had managed to prevent drugs from finding their way into the provinces via the roads, the ports were "wide open". He said: "We heard through the grapevine that [some] underground figures are also responsible for drug trafficking. "We're dealing with high-profile, professional and sophisticated gang and drug bosses and we need people to outplay them. I do not believe the SAPS in its current format is in that position," he said. Plato said this was a clear indication that specialised police units should be reinstated. Plato said he had met Lifman and businessman Jerome Booysen, who have both been linked to the underworld. Booysen has been fingered in court as a possible suspect in the Beeka murder. He has also been linked to Specialised Protection Services and suspected of being a leader of the Sexy Boys gang. Both men, Plato said, wanted to clear their names and insisted they were not involved in crime. He admitted that he had been criticised for meeting the two, but said it was the right thing to do. "Many are saying: 'Don't speak to gangsters.' My take is, if we are not going to start speaking to these people, who is going to talk to them? Who is going to change their mindsets? "Booysen is the president of the Belhar Rugby Football Club. He deals with vulnerable youngsters. It was appropriate for me to face him and challenge him. But he said: 'I'm not giving them drugs'." Plato said Lifman had denied being linked to the murder of Yuri "the Russian" Ulianitski. Ulianitski was killed in a late-night ambush that also claimed the life of his four-year-old daughter, Yulia, in May 2007. After meeting Plato, Lifman left the country. Lawyer William Booth confirmed a warrant of arrest had been issued against him. Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela said the elite unit had embarked on a "crackdown on the security industry in Cape Town".

Serbian fugitive Dobrosav Gavric, Russian Igor Russol and Moroccan Houssain Ait Taleb have made appearances in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court.

They have all been branded by police as underworld figures with links to organised crime. Yesterday, community safety MEC Dan Plato said...

It looks as though Whitney had got to a stage where she was using Xanax like clockwork. “Mixed with alcohol, it is known to be a killer. It’s the same deadly combination that killed Heath Ledger.”

DETECTIVES will quiz up tonine doctors they believe could have supplied Whitney Houston with a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs. The superstar singer died in her hotel bath on Saturday after taking a host of powerful sedatives. And last night, sources claimed her drug taking had spiralled out of control in recent months, turning her into a virtual “zombie”. The 48-year-old had become a tortured recluse, regularly spending most of the day in bed before emerging in the evenings to party. Police are now anxious to find out how a recovering crack addict with a long history of drug and alcohol abuse was able to get hold of such a vast quantity of pills. A source said: “The only way Whitney could function was on a cocktail of different drugs – uppers, downers, sleeping pills, painkillers, a whole medicine cabinet. “She was living like a zombie – always on medication. The more she took, the more she needed. “With alcohol in the mix, this was a tragedy waiting to happen. But she needed quite a network to obtain drugs in that kind of number.” Officers will begin their probe at the infamous Mickey Fine pharmacy in Beverly Hills, where Michael Jackson got his prescription drugs. It’s believed at least some of Whitney’s medication was obtained there. Bottles of Lorazepam, Valium and Xanax were found in her suiteat the Beverly Hilton Hotel. All three are used to treat anxiety disorders, while Valium can also ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms and muscle spasms. It’s thought Whitney was also taking painkillers and sleeping pills. Police and the LA county coroner are working on the premise that a combination of drugs and alcohol caused the star to become heavily sedated or overdose – ultimately leading to her death. It’s also possible that she suffered a heart attack caused by an adverse reaction to her medication. An autopsy was performed on Sunday but officials said they wouldn’t have any definitive answers until drug tests are completed in several weeks. Another theory was that the singer took sedatives, fell asleep and drowned in the tub. Police say Whitney was found underwater and unconscious. But the coroner told her family there was not enough water in her lungs to conclude that she had drowned. Detectives are expected to treat the investigation the same way they handled Michael Jackson’s death. They discovered dozens of doctors were supplying the King of Pop with different prescription drugs. Jackson’s personal physician, Conrad Murray – who administered the fatal dose of hospital anaesthetic Propofol – was later found guilty of manslaughter. Yesterday, it emerged that Whitney had visited a doctor at a private clinic in Beverly Hills just two days before she died. US X Factor winner Melanie Amaro revealed that she bumped into Whitney at the surgery on Thursday. Whitney is also known to have visited other private clinics on February 7 and February 2 – and it’s possible that she visited other doctors as well. It’s thought police will also probe whether she used friends, staff or hangers-on to get prescriptions in their own names and then hand over the pills. Detectives are piecing together Whitney’s physical and emotional state before she died. She seemed to have slid back to the days when she and husband Bobby Brown regularly abused drugs and alcohol in week-long party binges. On Thursday night, Whitney looked wild-eyed and dishevelled as she left Hollywood’s Tru nightclub, where she joined revellers at a bash thrown by American singer Kelly Price. She had scratches on her wrist and blood running down a leg and witnesses say she reeked of booze, sweat and cigarettes. Whitney downed tequila at the party and went berserk when she saw her on-off toyboy lover, singer and actor Ray J, 31, talking to another girl. One witness said the former powerhouse vocalist who sold more than 170million albums worldwide seemed “wasted”. A music industry source said: “It looks as though Whitney had got to a stage where she was using Xanax like clockwork. “Mixed with alcohol, it is known to be a killer. It’s the same deadly combination that killed Heath Ledger.”

It looks as though Whitney had got to a stage where she was using Xanax like clockwork. “Mixed with alcohol, it is known to be a killer. It’s the same deadly combination that killed Heath Ledger.”

DETECTIVES will quiz up tonine doctors they believe could have supplied Whitney Houston with a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs. The ...

Pattaya's foreign criminals feel the heat

This is why the Provincial Region 2 has established the Transnational Crime Coordination Centre (TNCC) to deal directly with foreigners who come to Thailand to commit crimes. The existence of the centre has shed some light on how diverse the transnational gangs in Pattaya are and how their illegal businesses in this tourist centre have flourished. French nationals Nagim Hassainia, 33, and Samir Raihane, 41, who are suspects in a credit card fraud case, were arrested on Feb 2. The suspects were nabbed at a hotel in Pattaya after police found them withdrawing money from an ATM using forged credit cards containing information stolen from other countries. They sent 70% of the money back to their networks in France and took the rest of the money, the TNCC said. At least 10 members of the French gang are thought to be still on the loose. Some of them are responsible for stealing credit card information and ATM pins using a skimmer. Police seized 31 fake credit cards and 125,000 baht from the suspects. "This case could cause serious damage to Thailand's reputation," said Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, chief of the the Provincial Police Region 2. He said there were many foreign criminals on Pattaya's streets _ and one way to better deal with them was to improve the capacity of the TNCC, especially its ability to gather information and put it into the police database. "I have to admit there are a lot of foreign criminals who are tourists in disguise. Some are here to work with their Thai counterparts, while others act on their own," Pol Lt Gen Panya said. "Some are paedophiles. Others are criminals wanted by police in other countries yet come here pretending to be language teachers. All this makes Pattaya sound like a horrible city." Pol Lt Gen Panya hoped the Provincial Police Region 2 would achieve its goal of significantly decreasing the number of "unwanted visitors" in Pattaya within six months. The Provincial Police Region 2 is also stepping up efforts to strictly enforce the Immigration Act in which foreign suspects who are found to have criminal records or believed to be involved in a crime will have their visa nullified immediately and be extradited. These suspects will also be blacklisted by Thai immigration authorities. "They normally move around from Pattaya to Phuket, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and then return to Pattaya again. If we can pool information, it will become easier to track them," Pol Lt Gen Panya said. Different gangs committed different crimes, ranging from theft to murder, he said. Pol Lt Gen Panya said some French gangs were known to be involved with fake credit cards and ATM cards. He said some Colombian gangs were involved with theft, whereas some Taiwanese gangs were linked to call centre scams. Pol Lt Col Chitdecha Songhong and Pol Capt Prajakpong Suriya of the TNNC, who arrested members of a French gang, agreed that inter-agency cooperation was crucial to uprooting a transnational gang. Pol Capt Prajakpong said it was difficult to locate foreign suspects even if police had pictures of them because they were frequently on the move and it was not easy to find information about them. "Pattaya is a popular criminal base because it's a hub of tourists and expatriates and the city has a lot of diamond and gold shops," he said. "The city also has many unregistered or illegal residential services which allow those criminals to stay here and hide away from immigration authorities." The TNNC is working with embassy officials in Pattaya and local banks to keep an eye on foreigners who come to the city to commit crimes.

Pattaya's foreign criminals feel the heat

This is why the Provincial Region 2 has established the Transnational Crime Coordination Centre (TNCC) to deal directly with foreigners ...

The founder and leader of glam rock group, ‘Loco Mia’, 46 year old Xavier Font

The founder and leader of glam rock group, ‘Loco Mia’, 46 year old Xavier Font, will sit on the accused bench in the Barcelona courts on Tuesday accused of trafficking in the drugs poppers and ecstasy. The prosecutors’ office is calling for a seven year prison sentence and a 7,500 € fine for the artists and businessman. Font remains the group’s representative although it now has other members, and announced the sale of the drugs on a webpage in which two mobile phone numbers were published. Clients who called, if they lived in Barcelona, could collect the drugs in one of Font’s two homes in the city, and if they lived elsewhere the drugs were sent by courier and paid for by bank transfer or on delivery. The prosecutor says they have evidence he was carrying out this activity at least between January 26 and February 4, when the Guardia Civil carried out a search of Font’s home in Calle Fontanella in Barcelona. 110 bottles of poppers were found, along with 116 pink pills thought to be ecstasy. The sale of both drugs is prohibited in Spain. Along with Font a 28 year old man, L.O.R.A. from El Salvador was arrested, and he faces the same charges.

The founder and leader of glam rock group, ‘Loco Mia’, 46 year old Xavier Font

The founder and leader of glam rock group, ‘Loco Mia’, 46 year old Xavier Font, will sit on the accused bench in the Barcelona courts on Tue...

Arrest made in death of Dartmouth student in Spain

Spanish police have arrested a man in Barcelona in connection to the Jan. 7 death of a Dartmouth College student Crispin Scott. Scott, who was to graduate from Dartmouth in 2013, was found dead in Barcelona, Spain, days after arriving in the city to participate in a study abroad program offered through Portland State University. Early autopsy reports indicated drug overdose was the cause of death, according to the Spanish newspaper El Periodico de Catalunya on Saturday. However, the final autopsy report revealed the amount and type of drugs, a powerful barbiturate, indicated his death was not the result of a night of partying as first suspected of the college student, though friends and family said he was a good student and athlete. The final autopsy results caused police to investigate the background of the landlord of the apartment Scott had been found in. The landlord had acted cold during the investigation, police had noted, according to El Periodico. Police learned the man, whose name has not been released, had been accused by a young man in 2009 of drugging and violating him. Police arrested and charged the landlord with murder on Wednesday, according to El Periodico. He is accused of giving Scott a drink containing a dissolved barbiturate. After police searched the man's home and another Barcelona apartment he frequented they found two dozen photos of young people, unconscious and in different states of dress and undress. Police believe he had photographed them after giving them a mixture of tranquilizers. Police believe these young people had been sexually assaulted by the man and that possibly this landlord is a serial rapist. Scott had just arrived in Barcelona to participate in a two-month Academy of Liberal and Beaux-Arts program sponsored by Portland State University when he was found dead.

Arrest made in death of Dartmouth student in Spain

Spanish police have arrested a man in Barcelona in connection to the Jan. 7 death of a Dartmouth College student Crispin Scott. Scott, who ...

Whitney Houston dead: coroner confirms singer was found in hotel bathtub

Police requested that no details about the singer's autopsy be publicly released, Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter told reporters on ...

FISH and chip chain said today it would save the original Harry Ramsden’s restaurant in West Yorkshire with a £500,000 investment.

<h1 class="mainHeadline" style="margin-top: 14px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 2.182em; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #505050; width: 616px; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Rival chips in with £500,000 to restore the original Harry Ramsden’s</h1><div class="image-caption" style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; float: left; font-size: 0.9em; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><img alt="Harry Ramsden's at Guiseley" class="editorialSectionImg" src="http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/webimage/1.4219628.1328544627!image/1433046630.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_595/1433046630.jpg" style="border-image: initial; 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color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><div class="byline" style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"> </div><p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"> <p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">A FISH and chip chain said today it would save the original Harry Ramsden’s restaurant in West Yorkshire with a £500,000 investment.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"> <p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Harry Ramsden’s announced last year that it was to close its original Guiseley branch - the first restaurant it opened in the UK - after 83 years in business.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Today, the Wetherby Whaler fish and chip group revealed it would take over the premises and return the restaurant to its “glory days”.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">In November, Harry Ramsden’s said its flagship restaurant, which opened in Guiseley, Leeds, in 1928, was losing money and needed a considerable investment before it could become profitable again.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The branch, which led to the chain of 35 restaurants across the UK, was originally run out of a wooden “shed” before moving into its famous art nouveau-style building, complete with chandeliers, in 1931.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Now, the Wetherby Whaler group, which has four restaurants and takeaways in Yorkshire, said it would invest £500,000 on refurbishing the restaurant to become its flagship branch.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">A spokeswoman for the group said the famous chandeliers would be updated with new fittings and it was hoped that the original “shed” could be preserved.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Phillip Murphy, who launched the Wetherby Whaler with his wife Janine in 1989, said: “The famous fish and chip restaurant in Guiseley is the spiritual home of fish and chips in England. It would be a national scandal if it were to close at this time of economic uncertainty.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“Our investment has saved a Yorkshire landmark and will ensure the tradition of fine fish and chips continues at this important location.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“The new Wetherby Whaler in Guiseley will be our flagship restaurant. We expect it to recapture the atmosphere and flavours of Harry Ramsden’s best years.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“We are confident that with the right investment, careful attention to detail, great-tasting fish and chips and excellent value for money, we will make a lasting success of this new venture and return the restaurant to its glory days.<p style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 100%/1.25 Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; font-size: 1.091em; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“Our family-owned business is built on solid foundations and this has given us the confidence to invest. It fits perfectly with our business strategy of controlled growth and accentuates our belief that Yorkshire is a great place to do business.”</div>

FISH and chip chain said today it would save the original Harry Ramsden’s restaurant in West Yorkshire with a £500,000 investment.

Rival chips in with £500,000 to restore the original Harry Ramsden’s Harry Ramsden's at Guiseley A FISH and chip chain said today it w...

Sex on Las Yucas Beach gets a council no

RESIDENTS living near Las Yucas Beach in Benalmadena Costa are hopeful that they can now use the beach without fear of bumping into people engaging in sexual acts. Benalmadena Council has installed cameras and signs by the entry point to Las Yucas, prohibiting nudism and sexual activity on the beach. People caught breaking the rules face fines of up to €3,000, according to Benalmadena Councillor for Safety, Manuel Arroyo. “Local Police officers have been told to act immediately.” For years this beach had become a popular meeting place for people engaging in ‘dogging’, sexual acts in public places – or watching others doing so. Websites exist promote dogging locations, and people travel from all over the Costa del Sol to these places, one of which was Las Yucas. The properties above this beach are luxury apartments and people living there say they have not been able to enjoy the beach due to these sex romps. “It started about 10-years ago, and has escalated since then. The past two summers were the worst,” explained one resident who lives by Las Yucas, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals. “They are quite aggressive, and I am sure they would come after me personally,” he said. “These people are disgusting degenerates.” “Often I would look down from the terrace and see children on the beach come running away from behind rocks because they had come upon two men in the act,” he said. The beach next to Las Yucas is a nudist beach, which is governed by rules, so people who wish to fulfill their sexual desires often hop across the rocky outcrop that separates them. “There used to be a sign that said ‘end of nudist beach’, but it was torn down and then never put back,” said the resident. Ana Boss who for six years has lived in La Sirena apartment building, overlooking the beach said there has always been this problem. “It is disgraceful; they have no respect for anybody. Children playing in the community pool can see them.” Residents had been trying for years to get the police and the Town Hall to do something about the situation, she said. Finally they approached the Tourism office and explained how detrimental this situation was. “The situation had become so bad that many owners no longer came to spend their holidays at their second homes,” said Mario Cordero, administrator of the Puerta del Mar building next to La Sirena. She confirmed that since officials installed the security cameras and signs there has been less of this sexual activity. “There are still some of these men who come to see what is going on,” said Ms Boss. Although the CCTV cameras are trained on the entrance to the beach Ms Boss believes they should also put cameras looking onto the beach, as a greater deterrent. Meanwhile, the unnamed resident said, “it is so much better now, for the first time in years I see normal couples walking around and I have not noticed any sexual acts.” “For the most part these perverts have been scared away.”

Sex on Las Yucas Beach gets a council no

RESIDENTS living near Las Yucas Beach in Benalmadena Costa are hopeful that they can now use the beach without fear of bumping into people...

Benalmadena Council has installed cameras and signs by the entry point to Las Yucas, prohibiting nudism and sexual activity on the beach

<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">RESIDENTS living near Las Yucas Beach in Benalmadena Costa are hopeful that they can now use the beach without fear of bumping into people engaging in sexual acts.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Benalmadena Council has installed cameras and signs by the entry point to Las Yucas, prohibiting nudism and sexual activity on the beach. People caught breaking the rules face fines of up to €3,000, according to Benalmadena Councillor for Safety, Manuel Arroyo.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“Local Police officers have been told to act immediately.”<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For years this beach had become a popular meeting place for people engaging in ‘dogging’, sexual acts in public places – or watching others doing so.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Websites exist promote dogging locations, and people travel from all over the Costa del Sol to these places, one of which was Las Yucas.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The properties above this beach are luxury apartments and people living there say they have not been able to enjoy the beach due to these sex romps.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“It started about 10-years ago, and has escalated since then. The past two summers were the worst,” explained one resident who lives by Las Yucas, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“They are quite aggressive, and I am sure they would come after me personally,” he said.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“These people are disgusting degenerates.”<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“Often I would look down from the terrace and see children on the beach come running away from behind rocks because they had come upon two men in the act,” he said.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The beach next to Las Yucas is a nudist beach, which is governed by rules, so people who wish to fulfill their sexual desires often hop across the rocky outcrop that separates them.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“There used to be a sign that said ‘end of nudist beach’, but it was torn down and then never put back,” said the resident. Ana Boss who for six years has lived in La Sirena apartment building, overlooking the beach said there has always been this problem.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“It is disgraceful; they have no respect for anybody.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Children playing in the community pool can see them.” Residents had been trying for years to get the police and the Town Hall to do something about the situation, she said. Finally they approached the Tourism office and explained how detrimental this situation was.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“The situation had become so bad that many owners no longer came to spend their holidays at their second homes,” said Mario Cordero, administrator of the Puerta del Mar building next to La Sirena.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">She confirmed that since officials installed the security cameras and signs there has been less of this sexual activity.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“There are still some of these men who come to see what is going on,” said Ms Boss. Although the CCTV cameras are trained on the entrance to the beach Ms Boss believes they should also put cameras looking onto the beach, as a greater deterrent.<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Meanwhile, the unnamed resident said, “it is so much better now, for the first time in years I see normal couples walking around and I have not noticed any sexual acts.”<p style="margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">“For the most part these perverts have been scared away.”

Benalmadena Council has installed cameras and signs by the entry point to Las Yucas, prohibiting nudism and sexual activity on the beach

RESIDENTS living near Las Yucas Beach in Benalmadena Costa are hopeful that they can now use the beach without fear of bumping into people e...

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Demi Moore on road to recovery

. Known for its individualized approach to addiction treatment, the super-posh Cirque Lodge has also helped Lindsay Lohan, Mary-Kate Olsen ...

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